JetBlue CEO Plans Press Briefing on New Oakland Service

OAKLAND, Calif. — JetBlue Chief Executive Officer David Neeleman will be at Oakland International Airport today at 10 a.m. to discuss his airlines’ expanded nonstop schedule between Oakland and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, as well as its future service to Washington, D.C.

Also speaking at the press briefing will be Steven Grossman, director of aviation at Oakland International Airport.

Passengers on the Airbus 320, which is scheduled to arrive at 10:55 a.m., will be greeted by a balloon arch in the terminal and a water cannon salute on the tarmac, courtesy of Oakland Fire Department airport units.

On Sunday JetBlue begins its third daily flight between JFK and Oakland, giving it departures from Oakland at 7 a.m., 11:50 a.m. and 10 p.m. In addition, two flights a day between Oakland and Washington’s Dulles International Airport will begin May 1, and a fourth daily JFK flight will start May 8.

"When we started JetBlue, our aim was to once again make air travel not only enjoyable but affordable," JetBlue’s Neeleman said. "The popularity of our Oakland service shows customers appreciate JetBlue’s friendly service, leather seats and free satellite television. What’s more, the U.S. Department of Transportation notes that the average one-way fare between New York City and Oakland has decreased 39 percent since JetBlue entered the market."

JetBlue is offering sale fares for travel until May 22 between Oakland and either New York or Washington, D.C., starting from $109 each way, or $104 if flights are booked over the Internet at http://www.jetblue.com. Sale fares are limited and must be purchased by March 29. Regular JetBlue fares currently range from $149 one way, for a seven-day advance-purchase fare, to $299 for a one-way "walk-up" fare. These fares are from 60 to 75 percent less than other carriers at Bay Area airports, company officials say.

Effective March 10, JetBlue’s daily schedule will be as follows: (New flights marked by **)
New York/JFK to Oakland, CA Oakland, CA to New York/JFK

"The success of JetBlue’s New York service shows that passengers want service to the East Coast out of Oakland," Grossman said. "We are pleased that the flights have been so popular that JetBlue is adding its third daily flight plus the Dulles flights in May."

With the new JetBlue service, Oakland will have six nonstop flights a day to the New York area: three on JetBlue, two on American Airlines and one on Continental Airlines. The JetBlue service to Dulles in May will be Oakland’s first nonstop service to the Washington, D.C. area.

In 2001, JetBlue was voted the country’s #2 Domestic Airline in the Condé Nast Traveler 14th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards and received the highest score of any airline in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2001 Business Travel Awards (#1 U.S. Airline in the Coach-Only category). The airline also was voted #2 Best Domestic Airline in the 2001 Zagat Airline Survey.

JetBlue aircraft are outfitted with roomy all-leather seats each equipped with free LiveTV satellite television, offering up to 24 channels of DIRECTV programming at every seat. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and a Saturday night stay is never required. For more information, schedules and fares, please visit www.jetblue.com or call JetBlue at 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583).

Oakland International Airport served 11.4 million passengers and handled more than 600,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2001. Oakland International has nearly 200 flights a day on 11 domestic and international carriers to 32 nonstop destinations. The airport is a revenue division of the Port of Oakland.

Oakland International is the only Bay Area airport with a dedicated shuttle bus that meets every Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system train at the nearby Coliseum station. On-airport parking rates are $18 a day in the long-term lot and $15 a day in the economy and overflow lots. For toll-free information assistance on ground transportation and parking services, call 1-888-IFLYOAK (435-9625) or visit the airport's Web site at https://www.oaklandairport.com.